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After looking at all of the returning FCS QBs for 2010, it appears that Northern Arizona's Michael Herrick, a Walter Payton Award Finalist last season, could be the top QB in the FCS and the favorite to capture the WPA this season. His 3,300 yards passing, 22 TDs, 68.0 pass completion percentage and his 445 yards against powerhouse Montana and his school-record (by 100 yards!) 574 yards against playoff-bound Eastern Washington in the last regular season game, are evidence that he's ready to take off! The Ole Miss transfer and California's All-Time leading prep passer (11,000 career yards) is one of the most accurate passers in the country. If he were 6-3 and 230 pouinds (he's now 6-1 and 205), he'd be compared with Stanford's Andrew Luck and Washington's Jake Locker (both have much lower pass completion percentages than Herrick). Hopefully, NAU's defense will be better this season and the Lumberjacks will make the playoffs and other regions of the country can see Herrick play

Herrick's a good one, and torched the Griz for a bunch of yards last year, but let's not forget Montana's own Andrew Selle in this discussion. He had the second-highest quarterback efficiency rating of any quarterback returning this year (4th in the country overall), and the stats that he led Herrick in last year are not inconsequential: higher QB efficiency rating, higher yards per attempt, lower interception percentage, and higher TDs per attempt.

He had fewer passing yards, but threw 51 less passes despite playing in four more games. With Montana going to a wide-open passing attack this year rather than the balanced attack they had during the Bobby Hauck era, look for Selle to throw for far more yards and a few more touchdowns this year than last, as well.

Maybe on Herrick, but Selle of Montana is also very good.

Selle v. Herrick:

Passing efficiency - 157.31 149.51

TD's - 28 22

Passing yards - 3043 3356

Completion percentage - 62.92 66.34

Interceptions - 6 8

TD percentage - 7.87 5.41

Selle played in 4 more games, but alternated the whole regular season (but not in the playoffs).

Based on passing efficiency, Black of Prairie View, McGregor of Jacksonville, Whitney of Villanova, and Sullivan of Colgate are ahead of Herrick.

Moses of SFA threw for 4124 yards and 40 TD's (also 21 interceptions, including 4 against UM in the playoffs). Based on first hand experience, Moses is a much better partier, and perhaps more fun, than any of these returners.

And then there's Devlin of Delaware and Higgins of Weber.

Scott Riddle as well.

Herrick's a good one, but isn't most of NAU's receiving corp from last year gone? I am wondering if he will have the supporting cast needed for NAU to make serious waves in the BSC this season.

Top couple of recievers are gone, but still plenty of talent in the receiving corps

Didn't NAU also lose its top RB? If there is no one able to fill that void, look for Herrick to have more pass attempts.

BigSkyFootball wrote:After looking at all of the returning FCS QBs for 2010, it appears that Northern Arizona's Michael Herrick, a Walter Payton Award Finalist last season, could be the top QB in the FCS and the favorite to capture the WPA this season. His 3,300 yards passing, 22 TDs, 68.0 pass completion percentage and his 445 yards against powerhouse Montana and his school-record (by 100 yards!) 574 yards against playoff-bound Eastern Washington in the last regular season game, are evidence that he's ready to take off! The Ole Miss transfer and California's All-Time leading prep passer (11,000 career yards) is one of the most accurate passers in the country. If he were 6-3 and 230 pounds (he's now 6-1 and 205), he'd be compared with Stanford's Andrew Luck and Washington's Jake Locker (both have much lower pass completion percentages than Herrick). Hopefully, NAU's defense will be better this season and the Lumberjacks will make the playoffs and other regions of the country can see Herrick play

He is on my first team list as of right now. Should be one of the top guys in the nation for sure. He and Devlin are my top two.

SDHornet wrote:Didn't NAU also lose its top RB? If there is no one able to fill that void, look for Herrick to have more pass attempts.

Yeah, Henderson graduated but Giovanni Dixon is expected to step up and fill in. We did lose some top receivers in Berry, Meadows, and Sweeney but other guys like Curry-Chapman and Shanks will step up there.

And I'm sure with Herrick's arm there will be other unknowns becoming stars, too.

GrizFan5 wrote: ...Based on first hand experience, Moses is a much better partier, and perhaps more fun, than any of these returners.

...

Good one.